Amélie Housing works with partner organisations to provide additional support which allows people experiencing complexity in their lives to sustain and maintain their tenancy.
It is the policy of Amélie Housing to accept referrals at any time from any support organisation where applicants have an established need for support and are unable to meet their own housing needs.
In addition, Amélie Housing has formal referral agreements in place with organisations that are related to a specific quota of applicants, or a specific property, in place to allow a tenant to move on from supported housing and access continued support for the period of transition. Examples include: discharge from hospital, leaving prison or other institution, exiting homeless services.
This policy applies to tenants, applicants, partner organisations with formal support agreements and all staff of Amélie Housing.
Nominations from other agencies
Nominations are only accepted from organisations with which Amélie Housing have a current nominations agreement. Under a nomination agreement, any vacancy in a particular property or properties will first be offered to that organisation for the selection of a suitable tenant.
The person nominated may or may not be a current applicant on our waiting list. Their selection is on the basis of housing need, but also because of their membership of a particular target or needs group. The person selected will be allocated the vacancy provided they are eligible, they meet the agreed ranking criteria for this project, and we are satisfied that the allocation is consistent with our allocation criteria.
Referrals from other agencies
Amélie Housing accepts referrals from all community agencies, however referrals are received and managed in accordance with Housing Pathways eligibility criteria, Amélie Housing Allocations policy and on the basis of housing need.
Amélie Housing fosters close links with agencies that provide support, temporary accommodation, and other services to specific target groups. These agencies assist us in the provision of support to ensure tenants are able to sustain their tenancies, have access to the support they need to achieve their goals and improve and maintain quality of life.
Linking tenants with support
The St Vincent de Paul Society has traditionally been in the business of providing crisis accommodation and support to homeless people. A key issue that has been necessary to confront for the Society has been the relationship between housing and support.
While remaining committed to providing immediate and appropriate services to homeless persons SVDP has embraced the concept of access to sustained housing. This means establishing a focus within the service system on supporting homeless people through rapid and responsive service into accommodation that is secure and ongoing. Support services can then be tailored to the person. This approach assists the person to sustain their tenancy, from connections with support to the community and provide opportunities to avoid the cycle of homelessness.
Separating tenancy services and support services
- Separating tenancy services from support services allows support providers to focus on the full range of needs of their clients and advocate for access to secure and affordable housing through Amélie Housing or other community housing providers.
- Amélie Housing is fully focused on the provision of housing services with due attention to property maintenance and the best use of assets in the long-term interests of all clients.
Complaints and Appeals.
Details on how to make a complaint, provide feedback or lodge an appeal are found in Amélie Housing Complaints and Appeals policy.
Nominations from support providers are not eligible for appeal, however, Amélie Housing welcomes feedback and will respond within 28 days to any service complaints.